Adoption and Diffusion of Innovations and the Evolution of Spatial Systems

Abstract

Technology and economic dynamics are closely intertwined phenomena, and therefore it is no surprise that current economic stagnation has led to an increased interest in innovation as one of the driving forces for structural change (see, for instance, Kleinknecht, 1986). The role of innovation has become central to current economic research; witness the great number of debates on the validity of concepts like ‘depression trigger’, ‘demand pull’, and ‘technology push’. In this context, Stoneman (1983) has divided this research area into the following parts: the generation of new technology, the diffusion pattern of new technology (including the adoption of innovations), and the socio-economic impacts of these processes. These three elements will be discussed briefly.